1. How to Give and Use Running Records
Tammy Hatfield

2. Today you will learn… What is a Running Record
How to score a running record
Cueing System: Meaning, Structure, Visual cues
How to analyze miscues
Using running records to plan instruction
Prompts to help students become strategic readers

3. Readers Integrate Meaning, Structure, and Visual Cues
Reading is an interactive process in which the reader uses information in the text (visual), and applies his/her knowledge of the world (meaning), and knowledge of the language (structure), to help determine author’s intended message.

4. Relationship of the Three Cueing Systems of Reading
MEANING
What makes sense in context?
STRUCTURE
What sounds right grammatically?
VISUAL
What looks right visually?

5. Purposes of Running Records A Running Record Provides:
Diagnostic information about how the reader is processing print
An indication of what a reader knows and can do
An accurate and objective description of what actually occurs during the course of reading
A record of change over time through qualitative and quantitative information
Insights to help guide future instruction
Information to make informed decisions concerning instructional needs, grouping, reading levels, and appropriate level of materials
Information for other teachers, administrators, parents, etc.

6. Benchmark vs. Guided Reading
Guided Reading Assessments: purpose is to drive instruction (instructional level)
Benchmark Assessments: purpose is to see what child does INDEPENDENTLY
(independent level)
Use book from previous day
2. Book Introduction
Read the title and talk about the cover
plant meaning and include any anticipated problem areas
Have child do a “picture walk” through the book to set the stage for reading.
Record running record, take side notes on observations, score, analyze (when necessary) and pick out a praise point and teaching point.
Choose a book or text
Do not have the child read the text prior to the running record “cold read”.
Give brief book introduction that provides a general idea of the text
NOT A TEACHING MOMENT!
Only record running record (and observations) score and analyze.

7. Running Record Codes/Scoring Guidelines
Look at handout

8. Let’s practice! Running Record Practice/Part 1
Running Record Practice/Part 2
Running Record/ Part 3 (stop at 9:30: putting it all together)

9. Putting it All Together
While I read “The Little Yellow Chicken” have your text to the side and take a running record on a blank running record sheet.
After I read TURN and TALK to your neighbors to compare the errors you recorded.
Check yourself
Move clock to 30:00- 33:35 – example of Kindergarten

10. To Determine Accuracy Rate
Subtract the number of errors from number of running words( all words in text except title)
Divide the remainder by the number of running words. Round to nearest whole number.
Example:
150(Running words) – 11(errors)= 139 ;
divide 139 by 150(Running words)
Multiply by 100 = 92.6=93%
Independent = 95% or above
Instructional = 90=94 % 
Difficult = 89% or below

11. Analyzing the Running Record
VISUAL CUE – Substitution
The visual cues in text are simply what the letters and words look like. Does this substitution look like the word in the text?
√ √ √ he √
Text: He said to his friends
Analysis: The substitution looks similar. It is not an acceptable English sentence. It does not make sense. There is no concern for meaning.
Teacher prompt: Does that sound right?

12. Analyzing the Running Record
MEANING CUE - Substitutions --
Text: “Buzz off!” said the bee.
Analysis:
There is a picture of a bee on page 1, and a bee says “buzz”. The message makes sense. The omission is not visually similar, but it is an acceptable language structure (sounds right). There is often an overlap of meaning and structural cues.
Teacher prompt: Does that look right?

13. Analyzing the Running Record
STRUCTURE CUE
The structure of the text (up to and including the substitution) should be acceptable English language construction. Does it sound right to say it this way?
√ √ √ down √ √
Text: And the big brown beetle said,
Analysis: It is visually similar. It does not fit the meaning of the total text.
Teacher prompt: Does that make sense?

14. Analyzing the Running Record
SELF-CORRECTION
In analyzing a running record it is also important to determine what cues were being used when a self-correction was made.
√ √ √ √ his SC
Text: His friends laughed at him.
Analysis: What cues do you think (infer) this child used to self-correct?
Let’s analyze the running record together.

15. Fill out the top part of the running record form.
Include first and last name
Write the title of the text
Include the level of the book
Decide if the book is easy, instructional, or hard so you can make appropriate future book choices
There’s an app for that!

16. Resources For You To Use
Conventions/Fluency Chart
Scoring Guidelines
Determining Reading Levels
Text Level Ladder of Progress
Blank Running Record Sheet
Guide for Observing Reading Behaviors
Teaching Prompts

17. Bibliography
Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for all Children, Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas
Observation Survey, Marie Clay
Becoming Literate, Marie Clay
Reading Recovery: A Guidebook for Teachers in Training, Marie Clay
Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write, PM Cunningham and R. Allington
Early Childhood Assessment Framework, Pennsylvania Department of Education

18. at tammy.hatfield@borgerisd.net
Feel free to contact me with any questions at